Action blockbusters are not exactly the norm in Asian cinema, particularly outside of China, since the budget usually needed to shoot such a film is definitely a preventative factor. However, when these types of titles do come out, there seem to be from Indonesia, where, along with a number of other ASEAN countries, is where the epicenter of action/martial arts movies lies. Angga Dwimas Sasongko has come up with a film like that with “13 Bombs”, in a movie that also tries to incorporate some modern elements in the action, namely social commentary, the concept of cryptocurrency and the significant presence of women.
13 Bombs is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
When a van carrying money explodes in the middle of the street, actually allowing the passerby to pick the money inside, the Indonesian Bureau of Counter-Terrorism gets immediately notified, although the person in-charge, Damascus, does not want to declare it a terrorist attack yet, considering the consequences something like that could have. Unfortunately, the bureau soon finds themselves hacked from a militant anti-bank outfit headed by Arok, a man who seems to foster an intense anti-bank sentiment and presents a video asking for 100 Bitcoins or see Jakarta blown up. His “request” also involves the nerdy co-founders of Indonesia's largest crypto currency exchange, Oscar and William, who find themselves in the middle of a case they never imagined. In the meantime, the Bureau members also face internal issues, and the fight between the ‘enforcer' of the service and the woman in charge of cyber security is just the beginning.
As usually in action films, that story is not exactly logical, at least not fully, with a number or elements definitely being on the nose and far-fetched, in order to both service the action and to include the aforementioned elements. At the same time, the comments about governments and the Capital, and how they continuously find ways to exploit people echoes quite realistic, as much as the way this aspect is presented as the main factor on the ways violence is instigated. At the same time, the plethora of characters, although adding an impressive amount of star quality to the movie, make empathizing with them quite difficult. In that fashion, the movie definitely does not focus on its characters, in a choice that is not exactly ideal, considering both the cast and how interesting a number of the characters are.
Still, nevertheless, a few of them definitely shine. Rio Dewanto as Arok manages to appear both charismatic and quite dangerous with every word and movement, with Rukman Rosadi as Damaskus showcasing a similar character with the same prowess, although in the completely different side of the law. Lutesha, who plays William's fiance as Agnes is a bit excessive on occasion, but still shines every time she appears on screen, with her charisma being quite evident. Lastly, Muhammad Khan as Waluyo gives one of the most dramatic performances in the movie, and is rather convincing in it.
Where “13 Bombs” truly thrives, however, is in the agony and tension that permeates the movie, and in the shooting of the action scenes. Regarding the first aspect, Hendra Adhi Susanto's editing emerges as one of the best elements here, with the fast pace dictated by sudden and frequent cuts working excellently throughout the film, definitely including the action scenes. And talking about the action, the combination of explosions, gunfights, one-on-ones, car chasing and every other trick in the book is outstandingly portrayed, with the combination of Reza Hilman's fight choreography, Dinar Safari's stunt coordination and the way they are captured by DP Arnand Pratikto, resulting in a plethora of truly impressive scenes.
One could say that “13 Bombs” is a missed opportunity regarding its context, but the action and the overall production values here definitely compensate, in a movie that is bound to appeal to all fans of (Hollywood) action blockbusters.
